29 dead in heavy rains; schools closed in Hyderabad as IMD warns of more rains

Torrential rains continued to wreak havoc in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh on Monday, with several areas experiencing flooding and watersheds affecting people's lives. 26 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed for flood relief and rescue operations in two neighbouring states. Several rivers in both states are inundated and inundating low-lying areas due to incessant rains. National and state disaster management forces have evacuated thousands of people from the flooded areas to relief camps.

According to a report by news agency PTI, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and assured them of all possible help from the central government in dealing with the rains and floods.

Due to flooding and water retention on tracks in several areas in both states, more than 100 trains have been cancelled so far, while many others have been diverted, the South Central Railway said.

India

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places in Adilabad, Nizamabad, Rajanna Sircilla, Yadadri Bhuvangiri, Vikarabad, Sangareddy, Kamareddy and Mahabubnagar districts of Telangana until 8:30 am on Monday.

#REGARD | Telangana: The city of Warangal experienced flooding following heavy rains in the region. pic.twitter.com/Y2qRYBKjLC

— ANI (@ANI) 1 September 2024

In view of more rains, the Hyderabad administration has ordered closure of all schools and colleges in the flood-hit city from Monday. The traffic police have also asked IT companies to allow their employees to work from home after a red alert was issued in Hyderabad due to extremely heavy rains. Hyderabad District Collector Anudeep Durishetty has put people in low-lying areas on alert and directed authorities to shift them to relief camps.

#REGARD | Telangana: Rain lashes parts of Hyderabad city pic.twitter.com/zSV3RhKmuI

— ANI (@ANI) 1 September 2024

Tax collectors in other districts have also been asked to declare a holiday for educational institutions on Monday as per local conditions. Telangana Finance Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy said despite several precautionary measures, nine persons were killed in rain-related incidents in different parts of the state. Three persons were also washed away in Mahabubabad and Khammam districts, it said.

In districts such as Suryapet, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Mahbubabad and Khammam, the authorities have evacuated residents of several flooded villages, he said.

Andhra Pradesh

Rainfall is also expected at several places in Andhra Pradesh, with heavy rainfall in some places. Parts of Srikakulam, Vijayanagaram, Parvatipuram Manyam, Alluri Sitarama Raju, Kakinada and Nandyala districts are likely to experience heavy rainfall.

Cautioning people in low-lying areas, Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority Executive Director R. Kurmandh said a first-stage warning had been issued for the Prakasam dam in Vijayawada as the Krishna river was inundated due to heavy flooding.

Andhra Pradesh has reported nine rain-related deaths and one missing person case since Saturday. A day earlier, the state had reported eight deaths. In the worst-hit district of Vijayawada, Budameru, a stream on the outskirts of the district, overflowed its banks at several places on Sunday, leading to flooding in many parts of the city like Ajit Singh Nagar, Swathi Theatre, Police Nagar and western and central constituencies. Many houses and vehicles were submerged in these and other areas.

#REGARD | Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh: After heavy rains in the region, the Pulichintala Project dam overflows pic.twitter.com/ePeFED760s

— ANI (@ANI) 1 September 2024

Due to heavy rains, Vijayawada and Guntur cities are completely cut off from the outside world. The Vijayawada-Guntur national highway at Kaza and the Vijayawada-Hyderabad national highway at Jaggaiahpeta are completely cut off from the outside world, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu said at a press conference at the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) in Tadepalli.

According to the CM, Jaggaiahpeta received 26 cm of rain in 24 hours, while 14 mandals received over 20 cm of rain. He said 94 other places in 14 districts received between 7 and 12 cm of rain, adding that nine rain-related deaths and one missing person were reported. Noting that as much as 200,000 cubic feet of rainwater had entered Budameru, he said the state could not estimate how much more water would flow.

IMD forecast

Meanwhile, the low pressure area over coastal northern Andhra Pradesh and southern Odisha, which has been causing heavy rains for the past two days, moved northwestward in the early hours of Sunday and crossed the southern state's coast near Kalingapatnam, an India Meteorological Department official said. The weather system is currently over southern Odisha and adjoining northern Andhra Pradesh, about 90 km north-northwest of Visakhapatnam and 120 km east of Malkangiri. It is likely to move west-northwestward over southern Odisha and southern Chhattisgarh and weaken into a distinct low pressure area in the next 24 hours, the official said in a press release.